Inside the Spin-Mosaic Studio

You should see my refrigerator. You should see my mirrors. They are covered. Are yours?

Little self-coaching mantras, phrases, and verses are written on colored sticky notes in my own handwriting and colored pens serving as self-coaching "misfit-momentum." On ordinary days, they embellish my refrigerator to remind myself what I believe--that it's ok to dance to the rhythm of my own drums...or to literally strum to the tunes of guitars, mandolins, and violins (and a grand piano) whose only sound is off-tune.

Some days I have to shift my sticky notes to my mirror so even my own expression is blocked until I read. Some days I put them by my nightstand so my swirling thoughts stay positive as I go to sleep. I know I'm not the only artist or musician who ever self-coaches their way out of misfit days in the studio.

Misfit days sometimes carry over into my home life and orbit my mood like a planet drawing too close to a too-hot sun. Sticky notes remind me to stay on course.

Last week I introduced my work to a new fb group. Two of the 1st comments were GIF's. One was a black and white movie hillbilly shaking his head with the words, "What in Tarnation...". The other was the face of Chris Farley lifting his sunglasses with flare to take a closer look. Really, I loved it, laughed, and count it a compliment. 

Being different has a flip side to the coin that involves both accolades and autonomy mixed with a dash of ostracizing. Iv'e learned to widen my smile over it.

I do one unique technique diversified sizes and surfaces. Surfaced instruments are my 1st love. Potter's-wheel spun-acrylic blade-cut mosaic gives new life to "too" broken instruments by adopting them into the arena of upcycled visual wall-hung art. 

A couple of years ago, I spent hours writing a state grant within a category of Historical Musical Arts: Surface Restoration of Vintage. My initial entry was denied before the judging process began. My instruments were not acknowledged as "instruments" because they "do not play". I was advised to reapply the following year in the category of: Visual Arts.

Like a good child, the following year I reapplied...only to be rejected before the judging process again and advised to "reapply the following year within the category of Historical Musical Arts". Somebody tell me I'm not losing my mind.

Once I entered Harmony Arch-back in an esteemed exhibit. I called in advance to be sure it would qualify: wall-hung art, family-friendly, size criteria, created within the last 2 years. Check x 4. I was verbally given an all-clear. GONG: my entrance form was disqualified because the guitar itself was from the 1950's though the art surface restoration was recent. 

I entered a violin in an out-of-state "Think Outside the Box" ceramics exhibition calling all types of artists to submit "anything and everything" created with ceramic materials or techniques (or, not and). My main tool is a potter's wheel = spinning.  The committee was worried their clientele would not see the connection. They must have had a very low view of their clientele.

I am the queen of disqualifiers. My work has been proudly rejected in 2D exhibits because I paint on instruments instead of canvas. My work has been rejected in 3D exhibits because I surfaced the instrument, but did not create it. I paint with a brush, but have been disqualified from painting exhibits because I don't paint only with a brush and what I paint is also cut.

My work has been emancipated from luthier exhibits because I do not create the instrument by hand. Alright, I get that. Hat's off to all luthiers. When I found a luthier to partner with--disqualified for not being solo.

I have researched and applied to Mosaic exhibits, but I'm not traditional enough as I don't work in glass or tile. I enter contemporary exhibits, but since "too broken" instruments are normally found in various states of vintage, they are not cutting edge-enough.

I live in the heart of Indiana with a thriving culture of antique shoppes. Mutual interest? Antique dealers were flat-faced and disinterested as the original weathered surface had been altered. Their perception is lost value vs.

Note: I have never claimed that my surfacing improves the instrument. Instruments are beautiful in form despite their function or lack of. 

Conversation after conversation. Cross. Off. That. List.

I spin on a wheel, cut with a blade, paint with acrylic, and adhere. I often get thrown into the "Mixed Media" category because noone knows where to put me. Whatever self-defining box I check, I tend to flunk out and end up in "Sculpture" or "3D" (if they accept me at all) because my instrument, is, well, roundish?  My pieces tank on the judging rubrics because I didn't create the original form and I don't pretend that I do.

I applied for a table at a violin expo and concert. They were vicious. Clearly violins that can only be "seen and not heard" had no place in the interests of musicians. Really? Someone educate me.

What shocks me even more is when others in the receiving end of the grant or exhibit applications change the artist-self-identified listed media and technique. I entered an online auction once and my medium had been changed to "digital art surface" when posted because whoever received the entry form did not believe I had cut it by hand.

It is not inlay. Heaven forbid, it is not Zentangle, though I have great respect for inked detail. Please do not rename my work or anyone else's because it is not understood.

Art places tell me I belong in the music world. Music places tell me I belong in the art world. Artists tell me I should connect with musicians. Musicians tell me I should connect with artists. 

I spin paint on a potter's wheel on vinyl, intricately cut with a blade, align and adhere in tight juxtaposition, one at a time. I make sure they fit just right and will slice a piece off the size of a hair if I'm not happy with it. Maybe a musical jigsaw puzzle festival would accept my work? Where do I belong?

I will tell you where I belong. I belong in my studio--doing what I do and making what I make because that is where I am the best version of who I am. I will ever and always seek advise and listen. But, I will listen to no authority other than my colored sticky notes on my fridge, or on my mirror on a really bad day.

Wait, there are 3 more authorities I will listen too. I just changed my mind.

I will listen to the farmer who played a "mean fiddle" but lost several fingers in a farming accident. His violin sat silent for 50+years. When it was passed my way from his son's best friend's wife, only one string remained. So help me, I will protect that string. I surfaced front, back, and sides. The string remains. I will listen to that farmer.

I will listen to the mother in her 90's who "begged" me to make something beautiful out of her son's back-split 1st blonde guitar. Her one request between tears was that I not hide the name her little boy had carved into the top left shoulder in the 1950's. I designed the entire surface to celebrate that little sweet name--the hand created that signature that now signs official documents for the Navy Seal division of the U.S. Military.  

I will listen to the State Patrol officer who played in a Blue Grass Band before a drunk driver hit her patrol car and severed her wrist. She asked me to surface her guitar named, "Reggie". She later had a glass case custom built for the guitar I surfaced that cost more than what I quoted her for the commission. I will listen to her.

I will listen to the silver-haired man who ran along the shore and called to me out-of-breath while I was kayaking, "Your'e an artist, aren't you!? My friend has one of your pieces! I saw you online. Can you turn around so I can take a picture with you?!" My conversation with him that day lifted my heart from ever wanting to stray from the orbit God gave me. I will listen to him, too, in addition to my sticky notes.

Because, you see, my sticky notes quote the people my art has touched. I need no other qualifiers.